Priest is arraigned in child porn case

Donna Boynton TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Published Monday December 24, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Updated Monday December 24, 2012 at 12:19 pm

The Rev. Lowe B. Dongor pleaded not guilty to possession of child pornography and larceny of more than $250 during his arraignment in Worcester Superior Court this morning. Rev. Dongor, who worked at St. Joseph Parish in Fitchburg until his arrest last year, was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail or $5 million with surety by Judge Richard Tucker.

The Rev. Lowe B. Dongor pleaded not guilty to possession of child pornography and larceny of more than $250 during his arraignment in Worcester Superior Court this morning.

Rev. Dongor, who worked at St. Joseph Parish in Fitchburg until his arrest last year, was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail or $5 million with surety by Judge Richard Tucker.

Rev. Dongor — the Diocese of Worcester's first Filipino priest — was assigned to St. Joseph's Parish in Fitchburg when the child pornography allegedly was found on his computer. When he was being questioned by police, he confessed to stealing $40 to $60 each week from the weekly collection over a period of months and wiring that money to his family in the Philippines, Prosecutor Courtney Sans said.

He was charged with possession of child pornography and larceny of more than $250 in Fitchburg District Court in September 2011 and was released on personal recognizance. At that time he was ordered to have no contact with the church, no contact with children, and no access to computers or the Internet.

A Worcester grand jury indicted Rev. Dongor in March, but he had fled to the Philippines in November, after his arraignment in Fitchburg District Court.

Ms. Sans said Rev. Dongor fled in advance of indictments issued by a Worcester grand jury and requested such a high bail “to make sure he stays here to face these charges.”

Anthony Salerno, the lawyer representing Rev. Dongor, said the priest turned himself into the FBI in the Philippines and turned over all his travel documents to the FBI in Los Angeles when he returned to the U.S. earlier this month.

Judge Tucker ordered that if Rev. Dongor makes bail, he turn all travel documents over to the Probation Department, have no contact with children under the age of 16, no contact with St. Joseph Parish, and no access to the Internet or computer devices. In addition, he must report once a week to probation and will have to wear a GPS monitor if he makes bail.